Filed Date: March 24, 2000
Closed Date: 2001
Clearinghouse coding complete
On March 24, 2000, a former high school student allegedly harassed on the basis of his sex and sexual orientation, brought suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky against the Board of Education of Somerset Independent Schools.
As detailed in the United States' Amicus Curiae brief, the plaintiff, represented by private counsel, claimed that the defendant discriminated against him based on his sex in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 et seq., and violated his right to be free from discrimination based on his sex and sexual orientation under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Specifically, the plaintiff claimed that the defendant was indifferent to ongoing physical, verbal, and sexual harassment he experienced at the hands of peers from 1997 until 1999, by failing to take action to end the harassment. Instead of responding to the plaintiff's complaints, administrative officials told him to ignore the behavior and that the school system's policies didn't cover same-sex sexual harassment, treating him differently because of his sex and sexual orientation.
As the case implicated Equal Protection and Title IX concerns, on July 31, 2000, the United States sought the court's leave to participate as amicus curiae in opposition of the defendants' motion to dismiss. This permission was granted by the Court (Judge Jennifer B. Coffman) on October 10, 2000. On January 16, 2001, the Court dismissed the action due to a final settlement reached between the parties. According to a summary posted on the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division website and information provided by the ACLU and Lambda Legal, the settlement required the Board of Education to pay the plaintiff $135,000 and modify its sexual harassment policies to prohibit discrimination against students and employees on the basis of sexual orientation.
Summary Authors
Stella Cernak (4/6/2014)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6308997/parties/putman-v-somerset-ind-sch-boe/
Abely, William F. (Kentucky)
Adelstein, Jay David (Kentucky)
Alberto, Christopher (Kentucky)
Alexander, William Clifton (Kentucky)
Allman, Andy L. (Kentucky)
Coffman, Jennifer B. (Kentucky)
Adelstein, Jay David (Kentucky)
Alberto, Christopher (Kentucky)
Alexander, William Clifton (Kentucky)
Anderson, Austin Winters (Kentucky)
Andrejko, Nicole M. (Kentucky)
Angelucci, Margaret Ann (Kentucky)
Asphaug, Scott Erik (Kentucky)
AUSA, Tiffany Mallory (Kentucky)
AUSA, Jonathan Ophardt (Kentucky)
Austin, Michael Duane (Kentucky)
Bain-Creed, Benjamin (Kentucky)
Bartolotto, James G. (Kentucky)
Beidel, Jennifer L. (Kentucky)
Ben'Ary, Megan Starace (Kentucky)
Bendor, Catherine A. (Kentucky)
Bennett, Leonard Anthony (Kentucky)
Berg, Arianna Rebecca (Kentucky)
Bickers, Kathleen Louise (Kentucky)
Bither, Christine A. (Kentucky)
Blackwood, Elizabeth M (Kentucky)
Bolden, Scott David (Kentucky)
Brawley, Kimberly A (Kentucky)
Brier, Barbara Scott (Kentucky)
Brodsky, Reed Michael (Kentucky)
Brown, Jacqueline Camille (Kentucky)
Caddell, Michael Allen (Kentucky)
Capriola, Richard J. (Kentucky)
Catanese, Liah Chantal (Kentucky)
Chan, Andrew Ken-Wei (Kentucky)
Chapman, Cynthia Bodendieck (Kentucky)
Clark, Casey Michael (Kentucky)
Clark, Kenneth Sutherland (Kentucky)
Cohen, Richard Edward (Kentucky)
Connally, Charlie Dustin (Kentucky)
Cooper, Richard Alan (Kentucky)
COPELAND, KATAYOUN M. (Kentucky)
D'Alessandro, Mark Thomas (Kentucky)
Davies, Patricia W. (Kentucky)
DellaBetta, Matthew (Kentucky)
Dempsey, Jamie Goss (Kentucky)
Department, Probation (Kentucky)
DEVANEY, WILLIAM HASTINGS (Kentucky)
Dick, Catherine Kuo (Kentucky)
Dickinson, Daniel W. (Kentucky)
DIVINY, CHRISTOPHER (Kentucky)
Domaszek, Bridget J (Kentucky)
Domingue, Camille A (Kentucky)
Donaleski, Rebekah Allen (Kentucky)
Duane, J. Mackenzie (Kentucky)
Dupris, Cheryl Schrempp (Kentucky)
Edmonds, Timothy DeLoache (Kentucky)
Eliopoulos, George Peter (Kentucky)
Ellsworth, Marci L. (Kentucky)
Erausquin, Matthew James (Kentucky)
Everdell, Christian R. (Kentucky)
Faruqui, Zia Mustafa (Kentucky)
Feinzig, Margery B. (Kentucky)
Fisherow, W Benjamin (Kentucky)
Franzinger, Thomas Carl (Kentucky)
Frohling, Richard G (Kentucky)
Fuchs, Clinton Jacob (Kentucky)
Gaugush, Simon Alexander (Kentucky)
Geraci, Justina Louise (Kentucky)
Gilchrist, Bayron T (Kentucky)
Giles, Bradley William (Kentucky)
Goldberg, Lauren R. (Kentucky)
Goldsticker, Michael A (Kentucky)
Gordon, Alan Cliffton (Kentucky)
Gray, Christopher D. (Kentucky)
Groom, Deborah Fennell (Kentucky)
Haanstad, Gregory J (Kentucky)
Hall, Jennifer Lynne (Kentucky)
Harlow, Christopher Loren (Kentucky)
Hattan, Andrea Whittier (Kentucky)
Henninger, Stephen D (Kentucky)
Hernandez, Jason Peter (Kentucky)
Hoffman, Everett Clay (Kentucky)
Houghton, Kristopher N (Kentucky)
Hudson, Jennifer D.L. (Kentucky)
Jerrett, Michelle L. (Kentucky)
Jestin, Katya Townshend (Kentucky)
Johnston, Thomas E. (Kentucky)
JORDAN, JENNIFER B. (Kentucky)
Joyner, James Clayton (Kentucky)
Jr, Hector Federico (Kentucky)
Kasulis, Telemachus Philip (Kentucky)
Kelleher, James Joseph (Kentucky)
Kent, Thomas Michael (Kentucky)
Kohnen, Ralph William (Kentucky)
Komatireddy, Saritha (Kentucky)
Korobov, Kristina M. (Kentucky)
Krouse, Michael Kim (Kentucky)
Kummerfeld, Nathaniel Christopher (Kentucky)
Lacosta, Anthony W. (Kentucky)
LA-CR, Assistant 2241-2255 (Kentucky)
Lamb, Andrew William (Kentucky)
Landreneau, Joseph P (Kentucky)
Larison, Josephine M (Kentucky)
Laroche, Matthew Joseph (Kentucky)
Lichten, Stuart Lloyd (Kentucky)
Litigation, Financial (Kentucky)
Lombardi, Vincent T (Kentucky)
Lopez, Jonathan Errol (Kentucky)
Lukas-Jackson, Jennifer A (Kentucky)
Macchiaverna, Elizabeth L. (Kentucky)
Maderal, Francisco Raul (Kentucky)
Marando, Michael John (Kentucky)
Marchiando, Craig Carley (Kentucky)
Martikan, Owen Peter (Kentucky)
McAlister, James Donald (Kentucky)
McCann, Douglas Edward (Kentucky)
Mccarthy, Shawn Daniel (Kentucky)
McCarthy, Brendan P. (Kentucky)
McClellan, Jessica L. (Kentucky)
McCord, Stacey Elise (Kentucky)
McCree, Cameron Charles (Kentucky)
McEntire, Brian Glen (Kentucky)
McGurk, Kenneth Charles (Kentucky)
McIntyre, Daniel Robert (Kentucky)
McQuaid, Nicholas Lloyd (Kentucky)
Mecklenburg, Sheri H. (Kentucky)
Mermelstein, Rebecca Gabrielle (Kentucky)
Middendorf, Jeffrey Thomas (Kentucky)
Miller, Ami Harshad (Kentucky)
Moe, Alison Gainfort (Kentucky)
Moreno-Taxman, Karine (Kentucky)
Morgan, Shawn Angus (Kentucky)
Mushkatel, Zachary Evan (Kentucky)
Namie, Myers Patrick (Kentucky)
Nash, Casey Shannon (Kentucky)
Neff, Michael Daniel (Kentucky)
New, Jonathan Brian (Kentucky)
Nicholas, Max Clement (Kentucky)
North, Christopher Colt (Kentucky)
Notopoulos, Patricia E (Kentucky)
Oakley, Donald Christopher (Kentucky)
O'Callaghan, Edward Casey (Kentucky)
O'Connor, Madeline M. (Kentucky)
Office, US Attorney's (Kentucky)
Olson, William Edward (Kentucky)
O'Malley, Kathleen A. (Kentucky)
Parker, Charles William (Kentucky)
Parkinson, Brett R. (Kentucky)
Patrick, Michael Ryan (Kentucky)
Pettis, Yohance Asim (Kentucky)
Poswistilo, Susan M. (Kentucky)
POZOS, CLARE PUTNAM (Kentucky)
Preston, Jeffrey D. (Kentucky)
Protection, United States (Kentucky)
Queenin, Mackenzie A. (Kentucky)
Quinn, Thomas Anthony (Kentucky)
Redlinger, Julie Margaret (Kentucky)
Richardson, Julius Ness (Kentucky)
Richardson, Ian Craig (Kentucky)
Richmond, Matthew V (Kentucky)
Richter, Zachary C. (Kentucky)
Riewerts, Alecia Lynne (Kentucky)
Robinson, Richard E (Kentucky)
Robinson, Loreen M. (Kentucky)
Rodriguez, Roberto H. (Kentucky)
Romano, John Alexander (Kentucky)
Romano, Virginia Chavez (Kentucky)
Rosato, Carrie Elizabeth (Kentucky)
Russell, Tiana Leia (Kentucky)
Sansonetti, Thomas L (Kentucky)
Santos, Christopher Andrew (Kentucky)
Schattman-DOJ, Frederick Martin (Kentucky)
Scheff, Jason Mitchell (Kentucky)
Schwab, Alexander Baier (Kentucky)
Searby, Bruce Hamilton (Kentucky)
Shoemaker, Brenda S (Kentucky)
Smeltzer, Joshua D. (Kentucky)
Snyder, Michael Damien (Kentucky)
Solomon, Alexander A. (Kentucky)
Stegeby, Erik Kenneth (Kentucky)
Stevenson, Marina Carin (Kentucky)
Stewart, John Frith (Kentucky)
Surratt, Andrea Lee (Kentucky)
Sutherland, James L. (Kentucky)
Sweeney, Benjamin R. (Kentucky)
Sweet, James Robert (Kentucky)
Sykes, Steven Edward (Kentucky)
Tracer, Daniel Marc (Kentucky)
TULANTE, SOZI PEDRO (Kentucky)
Turner, Serrin Andrew (Kentucky)
Udell, Jeffrey Adam (Kentucky)
use), MICHAEL BUCHANAN (Kentucky)
Vanderhook, Katherine L (Kentucky)
Vargas-Vera, Rebecca (Kentucky)
Vasquez, Timothy S. (Kentucky)
Velamoor, Niketh Varadaraj (Kentucky)
Vincent, Katherine W (Kentucky)
Washington, Melvin K (Kentucky)
Wasserman, Steven B. (Kentucky)
Weinfurt, Kenneth E. (Kentucky)
Williams, Nathan Stuart (Kentucky)
Willing, Patricia A. (Kentucky)
Willing-FLU, Patricia A. (Kentucky)
WOLFE, MAURO MICHAEL (Kentucky)
Wood, Rachael Lynne (Kentucky)
Woodliff, Steven Christopher (Kentucky)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6308997/putman-v-somerset-ind-sch-boe/
Last updated Feb. 21, 2024, 3:15 a.m.
State / Territory: Kentucky
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: March 24, 2000
Closing Date: 2001
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
A former high school student verbally, physically, and sexually harassed by fellow students on the basis of his sex and sexual orientation, whose school failed to effectively handle the harassment.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Board of Education of Somerset Independent Schools, School District
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 et seq.
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Amount Defendant Pays: 135,000
Content of Injunction:
Develop anti-discrimination policy
Issues
General:
Staff (number, training, qualifications, wages)
LGBTQ+:
Discrimination-basis:
Affected Sex or Gender:
Type of Facility: